The morning sun woke my nerves with an unpleasant jangle It was daytime before I was ready.

A late night for me, 

but a good one,

Reminding me that I’m more than just a mother, 

just an automaton put here to do the bidding of others,

At home

At work

For society 

I felt a flicker of my youth peek through,

Memories of other social events where I laughed and drank, ate and conversed 

Until the small hours,

Reluctant for the stolen hours to end.

The last few months I’ve had that feeling start to unfurl again, 

blossoming from a seed long dormant in fertile ground,

Put aside for duties more pressing, more important

Now I find I can breathe a little deeper, 

find a little more calm during the responsible parts of my day

Relaxation and self care are so important, discussed often and by what seems like everyone under the sun.

But to have a stolen evening where you feel the years have fallen away,

That is a kind of magic unknown to youth,

A magic too fleeting for wisdom,

And joyous in its presence